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The count of reserved seats for Indigenous council members on NZ councils will be slashed by over 50%, after a divisive law change that required local governments to put the future of hard-won Indigenous wards to a public vote.

Background Information on Indigenous Representation

Indigenous electoral districts, which can include one or more councillors based on local population numbers, were established in 2001 to provide Māori electors the choice to elect a assured Māori representative in local and regional authorities. Initially, local governments were only able to create a Māori ward by first submitting it to a public vote in their region. Local populations frequently spent years building local support and urging their councils to establish Māori wards.

Policy Changes and Administrative Decisions

To remedy the issue, the former administration allowed municipal authorities to set up a Māori ward without first requiring them to put it to a public vote.

But in 2024, the right-wing coalition government overturned the policy, stating local residents ought to determine whether to establish Māori wards.

Voting Outcomes

The new legislation mandated local authorities that had established a ward under Labour’s rules to conduct binding referendums alongside the municipal polls, which concluded on October 11. Out of 42 local governments participating in the referendum, 17 voted to retain their wards, and twenty-five to disestablish theirs – revealing many regions opposed to reserved Indigenous seats.

These outcomes represented “a crucial move in restoring local democratic control.”

Critics nevertheless have criticised the government’s law change as “racist” and “anti-Māori”. After assuming power, the coalition government has ushered in extensive reversals to policies designed to enhance Māori health, wellbeing and representation. Officials has stated it aims to terminate “ethnic-specific” policies, and asserts it is committed to improving outcomes for Māori and all New Zealanders.

Urban-Rural Divide

Outcomes of the referendums were divided down city-country divisions – most urban centers mandated to hold referendums backed Māori wards, while countryside areas leaned strongly towards disestablishing them.

“It’s a real shame for the Māori wards that had only just come in – they’re just beginning to find their footing.”

Electoral Participation and Criticism

This year’s municipal polls recorded the lowest voter turnout in 36 years, with under one-third of eligible voters casting a vote, leading to calls for an overhaul.

The process had been “a mockery”.

Comparative Treatment

Local governments are permitted to establish different wards – such as rural wards – without initially mandating a community ballot. The different conditions applied to Māori wards suggested the government was targeting Māori representation.

“Ultimately, they were unsuccessful. Numerous localities have given the government a middle finger response.”

This remark concerned the 17 regions that chose to keep their seats.